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reggola
Oct 24, 2011, 9:23 PM
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Registered: Oct 24, 2011
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Best wishes to the climber(per officials on the scene) that we saw getting flown out by helicopter from the echo cliffs area Sunday Evening. I hope you have a full recovery.
If anyone has any facts as to what happened, that might serve as a useful cautionary tale to others etc, please share them.
again best wishes to the injured climber.
(This post was edited by reggola on Oct 24, 2011, 9:30 PM)
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socalclimber
Oct 24, 2011, 11:12 PM
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Registered: Nov 27, 2001
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It was on Cyclops Rock. Not sure of the route. It was on the left hand side. A friend of mine was one of the first on scene and said it was very bad. Severe head trauma. The local radio station has made a report, but I don't trust their info.
I'll ask around.
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damienclimber
Oct 26, 2011, 2:08 AM
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Sad Accident!
jtree is not safe anymore, imagine you need gear, very seldom rap anchors,
The rock is too sharp and makes my fingertips bleed !
Maybe its haunted with demons 
Oh the L.A times great newspaper!
I think it was voted #1 in Nacho Land Or SoCal !
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ki6ojv
Oct 26, 2011, 3:02 AM
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I was standing on top of toe jam when it happened. But could not see the fall. I believe they were on overnight sensation. 5.11b
The group was from a Tokyo climbing gym. I talked to a couple of them when we were on the eye. They seemed kinda lost out there, missing the belay and raping from some anchors around the corner (double rope rap too). so what i saw was crazy enough. One of the climbers came running back to use the emergency phone and could not get it to work, he grabbed an English speaking gent from the camp ground who tried to get through but the phone was jacked. My wife was seconding and as i saw her head pop over the edge I yelled at my 3rd to run and go get help (he is old school search and rescue) he was only able to get a few words out on the line "accident intersection rock" and the line went dead. He ran to the street not knowing where the rangers were coming from. I was able to point him in the right direction from my vantage point. 1st ranger was coming from the south and missed the turn. We were able to intersept him and get him to the guy.
Was a crazy show from the top of the rocks.
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socalclimber
Oct 26, 2011, 3:15 AM
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ki6ojv wrote: I was standing on top of toe jam when it happened. But could not see the fall. I believe they were on overnight sensation. 5.11b The group was from a Tokyo climbing gym. I talked to a couple of them when we were on the eye. They seemed kinda lost out there, missing the belay and raping from some anchors around the corner (double rope rap too). so what i saw was crazy enough. One of the climbers came running back to use the emergency phone and could not get it to work, he grabbed an English speaking gent from the camp ground who tried to get through but the phone was jacked. My wife was seconding and as i saw her head pop over the edge I yelled at my 3rd to run and go get help (he is old school search and rescue) he was only able to get a few words out on the line "accident intersection rock" and the line went dead. He ran to the street not knowing where the rangers were coming from. I was able to point him in the right direction from my vantage point. 1st ranger was coming from the south and missed the turn. We were able to intersept him and get him to the guy. Was a crazy show from the top of the rocks.
The "english speaking gentleman" was my friend Wally. He's a veteran Valley wall climber and looong time Joshua Tree climber and resident. He is also married to a Japanese woman and speaks the language. I spoke with him Sunday evening and he told me of the rather less than optimal rescue response including him trying to get through to NPS dispatch and translate for the friend of the victim.
I heard the same report about a leader falling and hitting the victim causing him to deck. I also figured the route was Overnight Sensation, but wasn't sure since I was not there.
Crazy. Hope the guy recovers.
(This post was edited by socalclimber on Oct 26, 2011, 3:21 AM)
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ki6ojv
Oct 26, 2011, 4:32 AM
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Registered: Aug 25, 2009
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I thought that was wally but was unsure from my distance.
I cut this from Supertopo
"One guy had started on lead, didn't want to finish and built an anchor. The other guy led up, placing three pieces of pro. He fell, zippered his three pieces, fell past the belayer and ripped the anchor out.
He was about 10 feet off the ground when the anchor went, so he wasn't too badly injured. The belayer came off from 30 feet up, no helmet, severe head injuries. "
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1647396/Joshua-Tree-accident-Sun-10-23
I felt so bad for the climber and the rest of their group! Some lady was giving them crap in the parking lot. They were super nice when i was talking to them on the eye. So sad.
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reggola
Oct 26, 2011, 11:23 PM
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Registered: Oct 24, 2011
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sorry to hear that about the accident :/ hope he recovers. Hard to tell what happened completely, maybe all due to badly placed protection or lack of good protection options. Here's the local Joshua report though it doesn't add much
http://www.kcdzfm.com/...fullstory102411.html
JAPANESE TOURIST FALLS WHILE ROCK CLIMBING IN JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK
A Japanese tourist fell while rock climbing in Joshua Tree National Park yesterday. According to Captain Steve Lassiter of Joshua Tree Fire Station 36, about 4:00 Sunday afternoon, a man in his early 30s was rock climbing with a group of other climbers in the Hidden Valley campground area when the climber above him fell, crashing into him. The Japanese climber then fell about 20 feet. He sustained serious enough injuries that he was airlifted to Desert Hospital in Palm Springs. The first climber who fell suffered rock rash and bruises, and was treated at the scene.
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socalclimber
Oct 26, 2011, 11:41 PM
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That's pretty much what they have been reporting all week. Our local station is pretty good for the most part, but it is known for reporting erroneous info in the past.
There's a reason we refer to him as Gary "Don't Know".
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notapplicable
Oct 27, 2011, 12:31 AM
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ki6ojv wrote: "One guy had started on lead, didn't want to finish and built an anchor. The other guy led up, placing three pieces of pro. He fell, zippered his three pieces, fell past the belayer and ripped the anchor out. He was about 10 feet off the ground when the anchor went, so he wasn't too badly injured. The belayer came off from 30 feet up, no helmet, severe head injuries. " http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1647396/Joshua-Tree-accident-Sun-10-23
Holy crap!
That is certainly intense. I hope they both recover fully.
Anybody know how the anchor was constructed and using what gear?
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